Upcoming Fall Festivals in Colorado

[Elk Fest. Photo: coloradotravelingducks.com] With the leaves already changing, another fun Colorado fall kicks off! The season runs from the Autumn Equinox on Saturday, September 22nd, to Friday, December 21st, 2018, the day before the Winter Solstice.

Autumn is full of exciting festivals in Colorado, toasting an end to summer and welcoming the cooler fall weather. Aspens transition to shades of red and the beer gets darker. Rafts are traded for snow tubes, and hiking boots for ski boots. It’s an exciting time in the Centennial State!

2018 Annual Colorado Fall Festivals

A slew of Colorado Oktoberfests kicked off at the end of August and run through mid October. These are just a few of the libation filled festivals to warm you up. There’s also the Great American Beer Fest, Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival and Denver International Wine Festival.

Festivals in September

​Great American Beer Festival

• Date: Thur-Sat, September 20-22, 2018
• Address: Convention Center, Denver
• About: Now in its 32nd year, GABF is one of the largest beer festivals in the US, with four sessions to choose from, and over 3500 beers.

Breckenridge Film Festival

• Date: Thur-Sun, September 20-23, 2018
• Address: Breckenridge
• About: 38th annual festival features a variety of independent films, premieres, receptions, educational programs and retrospectives; 60 films, parties and forums.

Chile & Frijoles Festival

• Date: Fri-Sun, September 21-23, 2018
• Address: Pueblo
• About: Annual three day pepper party held the third weekend after Labor Day. Farmers sell more than 50,000 pounds of peppers, including the Mirasol, a native to Pueblo region.

Loveland Stone Age Fair

• Date: Sat-Sun, September 22-23, 2018
• Address: Loveland
• About: Sponsored by the Loveland Archaeological Society, the fair features displays of prehistoric artifacts, skills demonstrations and lectures by archaeologists.

Aspen Filmfest

• Date: Tue-Sun, September 25-30, 2018
• Address: Aspen
• About: Aspen Film’s flagship event, the 39th annual filmfest, showcasing narrative and documentary features, along with international independent films.

Elk Fest

• Date: Sat-Sun, September 29-30 2018
• Address: Bond Park, Estes Park
• About: Fall festival celebrating the annual elk “rut”. Events include a Mountain Man Rendezvous, Native American music and dancing, a bugling contest, elk seminars and exhibits, as well as food and craft vendors. There’s also an elk-viewing bus.

Festivals in October

Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering

• Date: Thur-Sun, October 4-7, 2018
• Address: Durango
• About: Celebrate the rich history of the American cowboy, with live performances, poets and musicians.

Knock Your Boots Off Beer Tasting & Chili Cook-Off

• Date: Sat, October 13, 2018
• Address: Golden
• About: 11th annual chili competition featuring bottomless craft beer and chili tastings.

Wine In The Pines

• Date: Fri-Sat, October 19-20, 2018
• Address: Keystone
• About: Summit County’s premier wine festival is now in its 35th year. Enjoy exquisite wine paired with savory cuisine.

Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival

• Date: Fri-Sun, Oct 19-21, 2018
• Address: Breckenridge
• About: Live music and regional liquor and food. Events include Poker Run, Historic Saloon Walking Tour, Breckenridge Distillery Tours, Honey Gitters live show at the historic Gold Pan Saloon and Hangover Brunch.

Emma Crawford Coffin Races & Parade

• Date: Sat, October 27, 2018
• Address: Manitou Springs
• About: Starts with a parade through town followed by coffin races. 23rd annual, coffin races are teams of four pall bearers and one “Emma”. The races have been covered nationally by the Travel Channel. They are usually held the last Saturday in October, annually since 1995.

Festivals in November

Denver International Wine Festival

• Date: Thur-Sat, November 1-3, 2018
• Address: The Westin Denver International Airport
• About: 14th annual celebration of international food and wine.

All Colorado Beer Festival

• Date: Sat, November 10, 2018
• Address: Colorado Springs
• About: 12th annual big beer festival that raised $70,000 for charities at a previous year’s event. It features more than 80 Colorado brewers.

Evergreen Winterfest

• Date: Sat, November 10, 2018
• Address: Evergreen
• About: Community arts festival showcasing handmade gifts along “Main Street” inside Evergreen High School.

Festivals in December

Georgetown Christmas Market

• Date: Weekends, December 1-2 & 8-9, 2018, 10am-5pm
• Address: 6th Street, Georgetown
• About: 58th annual Christmas Market is held on the first two Saturday’s and Sunday’s in December. Celebrations include an outdoor European marketplace, holiday entertainment, horse-drawn wagon rides, Saint Nicholas, Christmas museum tours, high tea at Grace Hall, wassail crawl, hot roased chestnuts and Santa Lucia Children’s Procession.

​Vail Snow Days

• Date: Thur-Sun, December 13-16, 2018
• Address: Vail
• About: Formerly Snow Daze, Snow Days kick offs the 54th winter season at Vail, featuring live concerts from top performers.

Please share any other fun fall events in the comments.